Low Income Investment Fund

Poor nutrition is linked to the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity. Many of New York’s low-income communities are commonly referred to as “food deserts” because residents lack access to healthy, affordable foods.

Without healthy food options, residents are left to shop at corner stores that primarily sell high-fat, high-sugar, and heavily processed foods. To combat the lack of fresh and healthy food options in low-income communities, the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), in partnership with The Food Trust and The Reinvestment Fund, launched the New York Healthy Food and Healthy Communities Fund.

LIIF provided loans and grants to grocers and other quality food markets in areas where low-income populations lack access to fresh and healthy food. LIIF informed the policy debate around access to healthy foods through supermarket financing, and provided technical assistance to other states looking to replicate this model. NYHealth funding provided partial support for this technical assistance and for program administration.